History Creator / Level5

Once there was this game developing company called Riverhillsoft, who began with the AdventureGame ''J.B. Harold Murder Club'' and went on to produce such timeless classics like... uh... ''VideoGame/OverBlood''...? Anyway, in 1998, two years before Riverhillsoft disbanded, one of its members, Akihiro Hino, left to produce his own game developing company, being particularly supported by Creator/SonyComputerEntertainment, and went to produce some respectably good sellers for the then-newborn UsefulNotes/PlayStation2, especially the ''VideoGame/DarkCloud'' series. That company's name is Level-5 Inc. 『株式会社レベルファイブ』 , and they only got bigger.

** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIX''

*** In 2023, Level-5 seems to have turned around their outlook on the western market, as in the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMdUSVSEp7U February 2023 Nintendo Direct]], they announced a whopping ''three'' games for international release (''VideoGame/DecaPolice'', ''[[VideoGame/FantasyLife Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/ProfessorLayton Professor Layton and the New World of Steam]]''.

*** In 2023, Level-5 seems to have turned around their outlook on the western market, as in the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMdUSVSEp7U February 2023 Nintendo Direct]], they announced a whopping ''three'' games for international release (''VideoGame/DecaPolice'', ''[[VideoGame/FantasyLife Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Stole Time]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/ProfessorLayton Professor Layton and the New World of Steam]]''.

* BadExportForYou: The Global version of ''VideoGame/NiNoKuniCrossWorlds'' which is done in partnership with [=NetMarble=] has NFT and Cryptocurrency integration. This angers gamers whose lives had been made a living hell by "cryptobros" who singlehandedly bought up large chunks of [=GPUs=] and [=CPUs=] in the market to fuel their ethereum/bitcoin farm. Not helping are the COVID-19 pandemic and scalpers who cryptobros has no issues with buying from, but gamers do due to them inflating the prices of [=GPUs=] and [=CPUs=] exponentially that many cards became unaffordable to gamers. This is also reflected in Cross Worlds- where the price of everything is so high you better have been mining bitcoins if you want to buy anything.

* BadExportForYou: The Global version of ''VideoGame/NiNoKuniCrossWorlds'' which is done in partnership with [=NetMarble=] has NFT and Cryptocurrency integration. This angers gamers whose lives had been made a living hell by "cryprobros" who singlehandedly bought up large chunks of [=GPUs=] and [=CPUs=] in the market to fuel their ethereum/bitcoin farm. Not helping are the COVID-19 pandemic and scalpers who cryptobros has no issues with buying from, but gamers do due to them inflating the prices of [=GPUs=] and [=CPUs=] exponentially that many cards became unaffordable to gamers. This is also reflected in Cross Worlds- where the price of everything is so high you better have been mining bitcoins if you want to buy anything.

* BadExportForYou: The Global version of ''VideoGame/NiNoKuniCrossWorlds'' which is done in partnership with [=NetMarble=] has NFT and Cryptocurrency integration. This angers gamers whose lives had been made a living hell by "cryprobros" who singlehandedly bought up large chunks of [=GPUs=] and [=CPUs=] in the market to fuel their crypto farm, not helping are the COVID-19 pandemic and scalpers who cryptobros has no issues with buying from, but gamers do due to them inflating the prices of [=GPUs=] and [=CPUs=] exponentially that many cards became unaffordable to gamers.

*** However, ''Ni no Kuni Cross Worlds'' has been confirmed for a world-wide release for 2022. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS4k-ALAtRY The Japanese version even has an English dub ready!]]

** ''Attack of the Friday Monsters: A Tokyo Tale''

* ''Megaton Musashi''

The company seems to have a working relationship with Creator/OLMIncorporated, as they're responsible for the cutscenes and anime adaptations of their recent works (''VideoGame/ProfessorLayton'', ''VideoGame/InazumaEleven'', ''VideoGame/DanballSenki'', ''VideoGame/YokaiWatch'').

* The ''VideoGame/DanballSenki'' series (''LBX: Little Battlers eXperience'' [[MarketBasedTitle internationally]])

* CrossOver: Level-5 seems to be getting rather fond of this these days. First there was ''VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonVSAceAttorney'', then ''[[VideoGame/InazumaEleven Inazuma Eleven GO]] vs VideoGame/DanballSenki'' and the many TV commercials featuring the protagonists from those two series. ''VideoGame/ProfessorLayton'', ''VideoGame/DanballSenki'', and ''VideoGame/YokaiWatch'' characters have featured as secret characters in the ''VideoGame/InazumaEleven'' series, and a puzzle from ''VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonAndTheAzranLegacy'' features the characters of ''[[VideoGame/InazumaEleven Inazuma Eleven GO]]''.

** There's also ''VideoGame/DanballSenki'', which wouldn't be released in America or Europe for four years, after which the game had already gotten an UpdatedRerelease and a port to another console.

* NoExportForYou: They have made a bunch of cellphone games that never saw the light of day outside of Japan. To give an idea of what the rest of the world is missing, they have a VideoGame/PokemonGo clone called ''Franchise/YoKaiWatch World'' and a Yo-Kai Watch themed VideoGame/EliteBeatAgents clone called ''[=GeroPo=] Rhythm'' that offers music from all their game franchises, two ''Ni No Kuni'' spinoffs (one being a prequel to the first game). Meanwhile, the only games available to the rest of the world are several VideoGame/ProfessorLayton spinoffs, with all but two have been retired from sale, HD Remakes of the VideoGame/ProfessorLayton UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS games [[note]]probably produced in response to seeing how well Capcom were doing with their VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney mobile ports[[/note]], as well as ''VideoGame/LiberationMaiden'' which is still on sale but cannot be purchased on [=iOS11=] devices because it has not been updated with a 64-bit build, though it's still available on the 3DS.

** The 3DS release of VideoGame/NiNoKuni (''Dominion of the Dark Djinn'') is this, largely because one of the gameplay element requires the player to thumb through a physical copy of the ''Wizard's Companion'' that is included with the game[[note]]to wit, it requires the player to look up the spell, then draw it on the lower screen using the 3DS stylus[[/note]], which Creator/BandaiNamcoEntertainment, the publishing partner for the worldwide release of the game, thinks it would be loss-running and are unwilling to risk it. This ended up being moot since ''Wrath of the White Witch'' contained ''Dominion of the Dark Djinn'' in completion, drastically simplified the spellcasting element[[note]]No drawing is now required[[/note]] and Wizard's Companion now exists as a digital e-book accessible in-game.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Back in 2008 they announced a game for the PSP called Ushiro, it was going to be a Horror RPG of all things which had quite a creepy atmosphere and an interesting Premise (Trailer for it [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrpsg2KDGh4 here]]). And it was, like ''VideoGame/NiNoKuni'', a collaboration with Studio Ghibli, a game very different than what either company has worked on. Sadly it was canceled though. Three Light Novels and a Manga for it has been released, and ten years later it was annoucened that it will be [[https://gematsu.com/2018/10/ushiro-revival-teased-for-switch brought back for the Switch]] due to fan demand

** The 3DS release of VideoGame/NiNoKuni (''Dominion of the Dark Djinn'') is this, largely because one of the gameplay element requires the player to thumb through a physical copy of the ''Wizard's Companion'' that is included with the game[[note]]to wit, it requires the player to look up the spell, then draw it on the lower screen using the 3DS stylus[[/note]], which Creator/BandaiNamcoEntertainment, the publishing partner for the worldwide release of the game, thinks it would be loss-running and are unwilling to risk it. This ended up a good thing anyway since ''Wrath of the White Witch'' contained ''Dominion of the Dark Djinn'' in completion, drastically simplified the spellcasting element[[note]]No drawing is now required[[/note]] and Wizard's Companion now exists as a digital e-book accessible in-game.

* NoExportForYou: They have made a bunch of cellphone games that never saw the light of day outside of Japan. To give an idea of what the rest of the world is missing, they have a VideoGame/PokemonGo clone called ''Franchise/YoKaiWatch World'' and a Yo-Kai Watch themed VideoGame/EliteBeatAgents clone called ''[=GeroPo=] Rhythm'' that offers music from all their game franchises. Meanwhile, the only games available to the rest of the world are several VideoGame/ProfessorLayton spinoffs, with all but two have been retired from sale, HD Remakes of the VideoGame/ProfessorLayton UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS games [[note]]probably produced in response to seeing how well Capcom were doing with their VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney mobile ports[[/note]], as well as ''VideoGame/LiberationMaiden'' which is still on sale but cannot be purchased on [=iOS11=] devices because it has not been updated with a 64-bit build, though it's still available on the 3DS.

* NoExportForYou: They have made a bunch of cellphone games that never saw the light of day outside of Japan. To give an idea of what the rest of the world is missing, they have a VideoGame/PokemonGo clone called ''Franchise/YoKaiWatch World'' and a Yo-Kai Watch themed VideoGame/EliteBeatAgents clone that offers music from all their game franchises. Meanwhile, the only games available to the rest of the world are several VideoGame/ProfessorLayton spinoffs, with all but two have been retired from sale, HD Remakes of the VideoGame/ProfessorLayton UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS games [[note]]probably produced in response to seeing how well Capcom were doing with their VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney mobile ports[[/note]], as well as ''VideoGame/LiberationMaiden'' which is still on sale but cannot be purchased on [=iOS11=] devices because it has not been updated with a 64-bit build, though it's still available on the 3DS.

* NoExportForYou: They have made a bunch of cellphone games that never saw the light of day outside of Japan. To give an idea of what the rest of the world is missing, they have a VideoGame/PokemonGo clone called ''Franchise/YoKaiWatch World'' and a Yo-Kai Watch themed VideoGame/EliteBeatAgents clone that offers music from all their game franchises. Meanwhile, the only games available to the rest of the world are several VideoGame/ProfessorLayton, with all but two have been retired from sale, HD Remakes of the VideoGame/ProfessorLayton UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS games, as well as ''VideoGame/LiberationMaiden'' which is still on sale but cannot be purchased on [=iOS11=] devices because it has not been updated with a 64-bit build, though it's still available on the 3DS.

* NoExportForYou: They have made a bunch of cellphone games that never saw the light of day outside of Japan. To give an idea of what the rest of the world is missing, they have a VideoGame/PokemonGo clone called ''Franchise/YoKaiWatch World'' and a Yo-Kai Watch themed VideoGame/EliteBeatAgents clone that offers music from all their game franchises. Meanwhile, the only games available to the rest of the world are several VideoGame/ProfessorLayton spinoffs, with all but two have been retired from sale, as well as an abandoned title called ''VideoGame/LiberationMaiden'' which is still on sale but cannot be purchased on [=iOS11=] devices because it has not been updated with a 64-bit build, though it's still available on the 3DS.

** Now there are also [[https://youtu.be/yd0I60ucFyE Yo-Kai Watch arcade machines]], but yeah, they’re not going to appear stateside anytime soon.

* NoExportForYou: They have made a bunch of cellphone games that never saw the light of day outside of Japan. To give an idea of what the rest of the world is missing, they have a VideoGame/PokemonGo clone called ''Franchise/YoKaiWatch World'' and a Yo-Kai Watch themed VideoGame/EliteBeatAgents clone that offers music from all their game franchises. Meanwhile, the only games available to the rest of the world are several VideoGame/ProfessorLayton spinoffs, with all but two have been retired from sale, as well as an abandoned title called ''VideoGame/LiberationMaiden'' which is still on sale but cannot be purchased on [=iOS11=] devices because it has not been updated with a 64-bit build.

* NoExportForYou: They have made a bunch of cellphone games that never saw the light of day outside of Japan. To give an idea of what the rest of the world is missing, they have a VideoGame/PokemonGo clone called ''Franchise/YoKaiWatch World'' and a Yo-Kai Watch themed VideoGame/EliteBeatAgents clone that offers music from all their game franchises. Meanwhile, the only games available to the rest of the world are several VideoGame/ProfessorLayton spinoffs, with all but two have been retired from sale, as well as an abandoned title called ''VixeoGame/LiberationMaiden'' which is still on sale but cannot be purchased on [=iOS11=] devices because it has not been updated with a 64-bit build.

* NoExportForYou: They have made a bunch of cellphone games that never saw the light of day outside of Japan. To give an idea of what the rest of the world is missing, they have a VideoGame/PokemonGo clone called ''Franchise/YoKaiWatch World'' and a Yo-Kai Watch themed VideoGame/EliteBeatAgents clone that offers music from all their game franchises. Meanwhile, the only games available to the rest of the world are several VideoGame/ProfessorLayton spinoffs, with all but two have been retired from sale, as well as an abandoned title called ''Liberation Maiden'' which is still on sale but cannot be purchased on [=iOS11=] devices because it has not been updated with a 64-bit build.

A few years later the company would get its two next big-titles, the first being unexpectedly ordered by Creator/SquareEnix: ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVIII'', which also sold like crazy, and solidified their relationship (Level 5 would be later hired to produce ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIX''). The other title was an action-RPG ordered by Sony again, ''VideoGame/RogueGalaxy''. In just four short years, Level-5 went from small startup studio to one of the premier RPG developers in Japan, and have enjoyed immense critical and commercial success. Soon it started publishing its own titles in Japan (like ''VideoGame/InazumaEleven'' series), while still being chums with Sony (''VideoGame/JeanneDArc'', ''VideoGame/WhiteKnightChronicles''), and working with Nintendo too (''Franchise/ProfessorLayton''). In Mid-2017 Level-5 acquired Comcept, the developer formed by Creator/KeijiInafune for the purpose of creating ''VideoGame/MightyNo9''. Inafune had previously worked with Level-5 on the ''Guild 02'' installment ''VideoGame/BugsVsTanks''.

The company seems to have a working relationship with Creator/OLMIncorporated, as they're responsible for the cutscenes and anime adaptations of their recent works (''Franchise/ProfessorLayton'', ''VideoGame/InazumaEleven'', ''VideoGame/DanballSenki'', ''VideoGame/YokaiWatch'').

* The ''Franchise/ProfessorLayton'' series

* CrossOver: Level-5 seems to be getting rather fond of this these days. First there was ''VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonVSAceAttorney'', then ''[[VideoGame/InazumaEleven Inazuma Eleven GO]] vs VideoGame/DanballSenki'' and the many TV commercials featuring the protagonists from those two series. ''Franchise/ProfessorLayton'', ''VideoGame/DanballSenki'', and ''VideoGame/YokaiWatch'' characters have featured as secret characters in the ''VideoGame/InazumaEleven'' series, and a puzzle from ''[[Franchise/ProfessorLayton Professor Layton and the Azran Legacies]]'' features the characters of ''[[VideoGame/InazumaEleven Inazuma Eleven GO]]''.

* NoExportForYou: They have made a bunch of cellphone games that never saw the light of day outside of Japan. To give an idea of what the rest of the world is missing, they have a VideoGame/PokemonGo clone called ''Franchise/YoKaiWatch World'' and a Yo-Kai Watch themed VideoGame/EliteBeatAgents clone that offers music from all their game franchises. Meanwhile, the only games available to the rest of the world are several Franchise/ProfessorLayton spinoffs, with all but two have been retired from sale, as well as an abandoned title called ''Liberation Maiden'' which is still on sale but cannot be purchased on [=iOS11=] devices because it has not been updated with a 64-bit build.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Back in 2008 they announced a game for the PSP called Ushiro, it was going to be a Horror RPG of all things which had quite a creepy atmosphere and an interesting Premise (Trailer for it [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrpsg2KDGh4 here]]). And it was, like ''VideoGame/NiNoKuni'', a collaboration with Studio Ghibli, a game very different than what either company has worked on. Sadly it was canceled though. A Light Novel for it is/or has been (not certain if it's been released yet or not, need confirmation.) in production back in 2014, though this troper couldn't find much more about it than that.